


Love Always Wins

by madisonsharon



Category: Far Cry 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:47:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 23,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22115884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madisonsharon/pseuds/madisonsharon
Summary: When Adalyne and Ajay's mother Ishwari dies they go on a mission to fulfil her dying wish; to be taken back to Lakshmana. On their journey, they encounter a monotonous, robust dictator Pagan Min, known as the King of Kyrat.  How will Adalyne's story play out?
Relationships: Ajay Ghale/Reader, Amita (Far Cry)/Original Female Character(s), Pagan Min/Reader, Sabal (Far Cry)/Reader
Kudos: 17





	1. Second Favorite

I've never liked hospitals. They're where people die. People like my mother; Ishwari Ghale.

"Baby, please stop pacing." Mom tells me, "Ajay will be here soon." She coughs in between her words. My stomach drops when it hits me that one day, I won't have her by my side. That day is coming and too fast for my liking.

Caught up in my thoughts, I didn't know that Ajay had entered the cold, bland hospital room until I heard Mom speak.

"Ajay! You made it." Ajay runs over to her and she quickly wraps her skinny, frail arms around his neck for support. Ajay's always been the 'golden boy' and got treated like gold. I, on the other hand, did not. She loved me, but loved Ajay more.

Ajay Ghale. My brother, son of Mohan Ghale, and descent of Kyrat. Me? I'm just a one-night stand gone wrong. If you were to compare her to me, you wouldn't know she was my mom.

"Come here, I want to tell you something," She motions to Ajay and he sits beside her, "I lov-"

The ringing of the machines nearly made my heart stop. Pain and despair washes over me at the sight of the scene.

"Mom...stay. I-I promise that I-" Ajay bursts into tears as hot, salty tears run down my face.

"Ajay..." I say to him as he continues to break down. I slowly walk to him and pull him in a tight embrace.

"It's okay, Ad, we'll be okay." We stand there comforting each other for a long time. I don't really know how much time passed, but it felt good to know that I had Ajay by my side.

It's been two weeks since her death. I moved in with Ajay until I can get back on my feet. We usually get along really well, but moving in together was sort of chaotic.

"ADALYNE! HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA BE IN THE DAMN SHOWER?!" Ajay yells at me from the hallway.

"I gotta shower! You're just gonna have to wait." I laugh, as this was a common occurrence.

We both hear a loud DING at the door.

"Hold on, there's someone at the door." Ajay sighs, as his steps begin to fade, I run to my room and quickly change to see who was at the door. I walk into the kitchen and see a tall man in a suit, holding a grey cylinder and a letter with Ajay's name on it.

"What's this?" I ask, looking at Ajay.

"Hello Miss Ghale, I am here to give Mr. Ajay Ghale what was in your mother's will." Shocked to hear what the man had said, I grabbed a seat at the table to hear more.

"Adalyne-" Ajay starts before I cut him off.

"It's fine. I just wanna see what she's giving you." I state trying to hide the pain in my voice.

"Okay. So, this cylinder contains your mother's ashes that she wanted you to have in her will," The man says handing the ashes to Ajay, "This is the letter she wanted you to have as well. And that is all. I must be going now." The man says as he gathers his belongings and heads out the front door.

"Wow," I sigh, "she gave you everything." Ajay pulls me into a hug and speaks.

"Adalyne, whatever she gave me, I'm going to share it with you. You deserve it." Ajay states, looking into my eyes making me feel safe and happy.

Ajay opens the letter that reads:

Dear Ajay,

Ajay, My son.

I have but one last wish;

Take me back to Lakshmana.

Love,

Ishwari

"What's Lakshmana?" I ask, wondering if it was a place somewhere that I hadn't ever heard of.

"I think it's somewhere in Kyrat." Ajay replies, holding the letter close.

"Then we go," I say standing up in front of him, "Together."


	2. The Long Haul

Are you sure you want to do this?" Ajay asks me, holding his passport in his hand.

"Yes, let's go."

After a long, agonizing journey, we finally arrive in Kyrat. As the bus starts to fly by the beautiful Himalayan mountains, my breaths shorten.

A man across from us says, "Passport." Ajay hands him our passports and he slides what looks like money into them. Then, the man hands them back to us. Aside from the awful smell of monkey shit, the bus ride was fine.

"Breathe. I will do the talking." A couple seconds later, the bus comes to a stop and about four guys who look like soldiers approach the bus, speaking some foreign language. My heart begins to race. It looks like the bus driver is trying to negotiate, but then he tried to fire at the men, only to be shot at. Causing my hands to shake and my breathing to quicken.

Before, I knew it the bus was being shot at and Ajay and I and the man were pushed out the back of the bus only to be positioned on the gravel with our hands behind our backs.

Hearing a helicopter approaching, I look up and see a man with a pink suit get out of the helicopter and walk towards the only two soldiers left.

"I distinctly remember saying stop the bus. Yes, stop the bus. Not shoot the bus. I'm very peticular about my words. Stop. Shoot. Stop. Shoot. Do those words sound the same?" The pink suited man said to the soldier. Is it bad that I actually find him...hot?

"But it got out of control." He says in the most terrified whimper I'd ever heard in my life.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?" The pink suited man asks, putting his hand on the soldiers' shoulder.

"It got out of control." He repeats himself, with a petrified look on his face.

"I hate when things get out of control." The pink suited man pulls out a knife and stabs the soldier in the neck. Repeatedly. I try to not freak out, so I silently breathe.

"You had one fucking job and you couldn't even do that." He says as he continuously stabs the soldier. He takes a breath and sits down in front of Ajay and I.

"And I got blood on my fucking shoes!" He yells as he points to his shoes. He's worried about his shoes when he just killed a man? What the hell?

"At least there's a sliver lining, he didn't completely fuck it up." He says looking at Ajay. He walks towards Ajay and helps him up as he says,

"Get up, boy. I'd recognize those eyes anywhere." He says looking into Ajay's eyes, and then down at me.

"What do we have here?" He says helping me off of the ground, "What's your name, dear?"

"Adalyne Ghale." I say, worried I might say something wrong or offend him.

"Why're you so nervous? Somebody as beautiful as you shouldn't be." He smirks at me and for a moment I blushed. Forgetting that he had just killed a man in front of me.

He pulls Ajay and I into a group hug and laughs, "I'm so sorry about this, this was supposed to be, well not this." The look on his face tells me his really is sorry, but should I really believe him?

"We have a party waiting for you and your sister, but I don't think I know your name. Who's this? Is this your plus one?" The man walks over to the Indian guy who had been on the bus.

"Strong silent type, I like it." The Indian didn't dare to move, nor speak. I couldn't exactly comprehend as to why everyone was so scared of this man, but deep down I knew.

"I am terribly embarrassed about all of this. This was supposed to be very simple, but if you feed monkeys they just throw their shit at each other."

"But, first I want to get a little picture." The man hold out his camera to take a picture of the three of us. He walks towards his helicopter and says, "Don't worry about a thing, this will soon be behind us and we'll be off on our grand adventure because I have cleared my calender for you guys. We will tear shit up!"


	3. The Dinner Party

"You give my congratulations to Ashley on your next visit home," The man says sighing, "I must say Paul, your little corner of Kyrati is rather beautiful. I expected more chains and wailing but knowing you somewhere around here is a dark place where the secrets roll like the blood." He begins to laugh maliciously, sending a shiver down my spine. I can't see Ajay becasue of the bag on my head, but I wish I could tell him that I love him. It may be the last time ever...

"That smile betrays you again, DePleur," The man yells, "Well, go on! Take the bloody bags off their heads!" I feel someone grab my head and pull upwards and as I open my eyes I see an overwhelming amount of light. I look to my left to see Ajay and the bus guy, and to my right I see a man called 'Paul DePleur' whom I don't really know. And at the opposite end of the table, I see the man in the pink suit again looking at me.

"Again, terribly sorry for what happened before. This is small what I had in mind. So, fresh start! Introductions!" He claps his hands together as he speaks.

"Ajay and Adalyne Ghale, our guests of honour." The way he said my name had me weak in my knees, but how could I blush for a man who's a killer?

"Paul, our gracious host." Paul nods his head at Ajay and I as the man says his name.

"The little monkey who's name I still don't know." He motions to the man who was on the bus with us.

"And I, of course, Pagan Min." The way the man spoke was smooth, with a little accent that rolls off of the tongue a bit. You could definitely see the chinese background.

"You really don't remember me, do you? Your mother, she never...spoke of me, never mentioned me?" He asks Ajay, taking the silence as the answer. "Oh, well we'll change all that."

He asks Paul for his cash and begins to compare himself to his face which is the face on the money. Ajay finally makes the connection.

"That's you." Ajay says at a soft tone of voice, trying to hide his worried demeanor.

"That's me. Although I'm not so sure anymore..." He pauses for a moment to take a breath before speaking again, "Now, your mother on the other hand-" Ajay stands up and Paul tries to stop him from acting out, which Paul did successfully.

"She understood me. She knew me in a way no one ever did. That takes me back...the last time I saw Ishwari was years ago. She told me she loved me. Women, no offense Adalyne, they can do that. They can tell they love you in the moment and mean it. Men, on the other hand, no, men only really love you when too much distance has built up." When he said that, it's like I could feel the way he felt. Like I knew what he had been through even though I hadn't.

"So when your mother decided to flee to the United States with you on her hip, I couldn't help but blame myself. Then I realized it's not me. No, it was the fucking Golden Path!" Pagan yells as she shoves the man into the table and stabs a fork into his back causing me to shriek and Ajay to hold me in his arms.

The next few minuets are just a blur. I was too in my head to even be able to think straight. I realized what was going on...I was having a panic attack. My throat closed up, my sight was blurring, I couldn't speak. Before I knew it, Ajay had realized too what was going on.


	4. Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Ajay tried to remember where my inhaler was but realized that it was in my bag that Pagan's soldiers took away.

"Pagan, where's her bag?" Ajay asks him with a panicked tone, his palms quickly becoming sweaty.

"What's going on? Is she okay?" Pagan says walking closer to Adalyne, "I-It's right here." Pagan hands Ajay the bag and Ajay begins to dig through everything to find my inhaler. My life literally depends on it.

"Got it!" Ajay says cheerfully as he hands it to me, "Just breathe, okay? Everything's okay. You're fine. I'm fine."

I take slow, deep breaths with my inhaler and soon become calm again.

"What was that?" Pagan asks me, with a worried look on his face. Another side to this man, huh?

"My anxiety and asthma is just-it's just really bad sometimes." I say, still a little bit shaken up.

"You know, sometimes Ishwari would have little spells like that. She would say that she felt the walls closing in on her." Pagan reminisces to me, causing me to feel comfort towards him. But still, in the back of my mind I knew he was bad news.

"Anyway," Pagan motions to his guards, "Find out what he knows."

"Terrorists, right? Please, stay right here. Enjoy the crab rangoon. Don't move. I will be right back." Pagan says to us, as he leaves the room.

"Are you alright?" Ajay asks me with his big brother look he gives me when he's worried.

"Yes, I'm fine." I say and nod my head. He stands up and I look at him confused.

"Where are you going? He said stay here! Do you WANT to die?" I yell at him to try to convince him to stay with me.

"Sorry but this man is a fucking lunatic! Wait, you-you want to STAY? Have you lost your fucking mind?" He yells at me, trying to reason with me. I don't really know how to justify the way l feel about Pagan; it's undescribable, it's just unexplainable.

"I'm staying. What if he finds you? Or worse, what if he finds you and kills you?" I question, beginning to think of the worst thing that could happen.

"Please, sis, come with me. I'll keep you safe." Ajay promises me, his eyes a little wet.

"O-okay." I nod, worry still in the back of my head. We walk down two flights of stairs and hear what sounds like a man being electrocuted and screams fill the air. Ajay and I exchange looks of terror.

We try to sneak past the horrifying scene and walk out through a door only to find a man, who is wearing blue and his dark, black hair in a ponytail.

"I'm Sabal. You must be Ajay and, you are?" Sabal looks at me, questioning who I must be.

"Adalyne Ghale." I say standing slightly closer to Ajay for support.

"Ah, I see. We must get you two out of here!"

"What about him?" Ajay asks, pointing to the room behind us.

"Darpan would have wanted us to get you to safety. Let's go! Run for the truck and keep your heads down." I look back towards the man we're about to leave behind, feeling sorry for him.

"Let's go." I say holding Ajay's hand tightly. We both run to the blue truck that has a golden symbol on the hood and jump in as fast as we can, avoiding gunshots, grenades, and molotovs along the way.

"Get the hand gun and shoot the soldiers behind us!" shouts the driver, who's gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles are white.

I hear Ajay shoot gunshot after gunshot, and then I see a truck getting ready hit us head on. I grab ahold of Ajay, and brace for the hit. The next minuet I hear a loud bang and all I see is blackness.


	5. My Hero

wake up to see myself, wrangled in the burning car. I try to quickly get out and run as far away as I can. I look back to see it explode, and my thoughts are overfilled will worry about Ajay. Where could he be?

I walk to the nearest tree and find the driver, who has been crushed by the fallen tree. I scream and run away as fast as my feet could carry me. I felt a tinge of pain in my abdomen, finding a large piece of glass stabbed into it.

In the distance, I hear a helicopter and three soldiers talking in their native language as their footsteps get closer. My sight begins to blur, and I loose all consciousness as I pass out onto the tall, green grass.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. I collect my strength and begin to open my eyes. I sit up, feeling a sharp pain in my abdomen.

"Rest, Adalyne. You need it." Pagan says, laying me back down. Sighing, I do as he says.

"Where's Ajay? Is he okay?" I ask, fearing the worst as I hadn't seen him since the accident. Why was Pagan so worried about my safety?

"I actually don't know. I was kinda hoping you knew the answer to that." Pagan sighs, holding my hand and giving me butterflies in my stomach. There was something about him...

"When I woke up from the crash, the driver..." I struggle to get the word out, but I think Pagan knew what I meant, "And I couldn't find Ajay or any sign that he was dead. I don't think I've ever been without him this long in about a year." It was true, since Mom had gotten sick, Ajay and I had seen each other every single day. Not a single day went by that we didn't speak.

"I didn't know that Ishwari had a daughter, I knew she had Ajay. You definitely are as beautiful." Pagan says smiling at me, rubbing circles on my hand. Again, the butterflies hit me like a truck.

"Why did you want to talk to Ajay and I? Why are we so special?" I ask him, looking into his eyes. Wondering why I had been so important to him.

"Well, you're pretty straightforward, huh?" He laughs at me, "I was in love with Ishwari and we had a child together. A daughter, her name was-"

"Lakshmana." I answer for him. That's what Mom wanted us to do with her ashes. She wanted to be buried with her other daughter. The other, more important daughter.

"I see you already knew this." Pagan says, looking down to the floor like he was upset. I was upset too, and I didn't know how to handle these types of situations around someone so authoritative. But, I knew that I needed to stay as calm as I possibly could.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit a nerve..." I immediately felt bad for asking such a tough question.

"No, it's fine." He pulls it together, and smiles at me again. That fucking smile.

"So, after my mother left...you never saw anyone else?" I ask, being a little lighter than last time. The way he spoke and carried himself was very delicate and very thought out but also very slick and it flowed like a river. Damn, this guy has got some trick up his sleeve.

He looks at me and furrows his eyebrows, "No, I never really was interested in other women. I guess I was still..." He breathes again before I interrupt.

"Grieving." I speak for him. In a way, understanding and comprehending what he had been through.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" He laughs at me, clearly thinking I'm annoying.

"I don't mean to be annoying or anything. I've just had so many questions and not very many answers. Ever since I got here, its been crazy thing here and crazing thing there and I just never know what's coming next!" I finish, looking back up at him only to see him smiling at me again with that shit-eating grin.

"I get it." He pauses as he enters his thoughts for a few moments. And then looks up and directly into my eyes. For a split second, I wanted to kiss him for saving me, and being here when Ajay couldn't. But, I didn't. Pagan stands up straighter and sighs.

"What terrible manners I have!" He yells, throwing his hands up in the air, "I haven't even shown you your room yet!" He's giving me a room? Like to stay?

He helps me up out of the hospital-like bed and helps me walk to my new room. I struggle to walk, and he takes notice. Maybe he really does care. Deeply.

"Here, let me help you." Pagan says, picking me up and carrying me bridal style to my new bedroom. I can't help but blush a little. I'm not sure if he noticed that.

He puts me down and opens the door to reveal a spacious, red room with beautiful Indian wallpaper and a luscious white bed with new sheets.

"Wow! It's beautiful." I smile looking around the room.

"A beautiful room for a beautiful woman." He smirks at me as he leans against the doorway. God, why does he have to be so hot? I think to myself.

"Thank you," I say, walking over to him, "for everything." Besides, all he's wanted for me so far is for me to be safe. And I'm completely and utterly okay with that.

He smiles and pulls me into a tight hug, close enough that I can smell his cologne. Smells like sunshine, and good memories. My hero, I think.


	6. Curiosity Killed the Cat...and the Dog

The next morning, I woke up and found myself wandering the palace. I don't know why I was so curious, but I was.

Wandering from room to room admiring the architecture and the beautiful surrounding and decorations, I hadn't realized how much time had passed or where I was.

I walk into a larger room with a much different look; more pink that any of the other rooms. Curiousity took over and I roamed the room and smell something too similar; Pagan's cologne.

I was walking towards another door only to see a very naked Pagan. Instead of a embarrassed reaction from him, he turns around and smirks at me.

"Do you like what you see?" He laughs and grabs a towel, still eyeing me.

"I-I d-." I sigh at my loss for words. I wondered what he looked like naked, but I never thought I'd walk in on him naked.

"It's okay, they're usually speechless." He is now holding a towel around his waist, but I still can't get this image out of my head.

He walks toward me and looks me in the eyes, and says, "You should knock first."

"Well, I-I was just, uh, y'know...roaming the palace and I-I saw you and I'm sorry! I had no ide-" He cuts me off and pulls me in to a unexpected, passionate kiss. He puts his hands around my face and it seems like the whole world stops for a while.

"Woah, that was-" He says, smirking to himself.

"Unexpected." I answer for him. I do that a lot, don't I?

"Aren't you glad you got curious?" He laughs and begin to get dressed. Everything in his room is pink. There isn't anything that isn't.

"So, you really like pink, huh?" I ask, looking around his room.

"Hey, real men wear pink!" He yells and points his finger at me, playfully. Which makes me giggle.

Later, Pagan and I were outside when I notice a soldier running towards us. But, he was sweating and panting.

"PAGAN!" The soldiers says running towards us, reloading his gun as he does so.

"What is it? Ms. Ghale and I were doing something!" Pagan says, sighing and acting frustrated.

"A-Ajay and the Golden P-path..." The soldier chokes out, panting from exhaustion.

"What? What do you mean? Is he okay?!" I immediately assume the worst. My palms begin to sweat and tremble and I am no longer in control of my thoughts. I don't notice that Pagan had his hand comfortingly on my shoulder.

What the hell has my brother got himself into this time...


	7. Promises

"Adalyne, I'm sure he's fine. It's just the Golden Path trying to stir shit up like usual. I mean, what else is new?" Pagan laughs, trying to cool me down. But when it comes to my brother and his safety, I can't cool down.

"What happened to him? And the Golden Path?" I ask the soldier, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"They took the Khilana Bazaar Outpost!" The soldier says, then mumbles something foreign under his breath.

"Those fucking monkeys!" Pagan yells, putting his hand through his blonde hair. He might be hot, but he's not just going to call my brother a monkey.

"Hey! My brother is NOT a monkey!" I yell at him, pointing my finger at him.

"I meant those Golden Path fuckers. I didn't mean to-..." Pagan pauses to take a deep breath before speaking again, "I'm so sorry, Adalyne." I quickly shrug off the comment and try to focus on the situation at hand.

"Have you made contact with any of our soldiers at the outpost?" Pagan asks the soldier, totally changing his demeanor from loving and caring to demanding and dictating. He's as smooth as silk. And I absolutely loved it.

"No. They're all...dead. I got out just in time to come get you and some reinforcements." The soldier says looking at the green grass of Kyrat, wincing at his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I ask, looking at his shoulder. It was clearly bleeding and obviously hurting him.

"Y-yes." I looked at him with a I-know-you're-lying-to-me face.

"Oh, stop with the bullshit. Come inside, I'll patch you up." I say, guiding him back inside only to be stopped by Pagan.

"You know how to do that?" He asks me and quickly smile and give him a nod. I hear him say something under his breath as I continue to walk back to the palace, but I didn't hear what he had said.

After I had fixed up the soldiers' shoulder, Pagan sends him back out to patrol the streets. Leaving us alone once more. All that had been on my mind for the past half hour was Ajay. He's my brother and he's in trouble. I know that if he knew I was in danger, he would come after me too. I owe him that much.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask him and he immediately looks at me. He looks a little confused, but ready to hear what I had to say.

"Of course, dear. What's on your mind?" He comes closer to me, and begins to look more interested.

"Can I go see Ajay?" I hesitantly ask, already knowing what he'll say. It's still worth a shot, though.

Pagan sighs, and he looks at me again, "Adalyne, I just want you safe. You going out there is not safe. Out there is a land full of terrorists and people who want to hurt you. Is that what you want?"

"My brother and I made a promise to each other. We promised that if one of us were in danger, we would drop anything and everything to help each other. Because that is what family is for. Don't you agree?"

He finally gives in, and let's me go. Although, he isn't very pleased with my decision.

"Just-just be safe out there, okay? If anyone tries ANYTHING at all, you tell me and I-" Pagan says, with a very protective tone to his voice. That is until I cut him off.

"I will be fine. I'll be back soon," I say, jumping in the red truck and putting the keys in the ignition.

"I promise."


	8. A Promise Kept and A Promise Broken

The journey from the palace to Banapur was long. It felt like the old dirt roads kept going forever. But, I need to keep going. For Ajay.

As I passed over the King's bridge, I hear my radio start and someone's voice coming through. I quickly stop my truck, and grab my radio so it's audible.

"Any Golden Path in the area, we need your help at the Monastery! We're being attacked and-" Before the man with the heavy accent was able to finish his sentence, there were gunshots followed by a loud bomb and then the radio stopped entirely.

I didn't know that Kyrat was really like this. Too much war and too much conflict. I knew Ajay was there; at the monastery. He wouldn't just stand by and watch people die, he would risk life and limb to save lives.

I put my radio back in my holster and change my maps' route to the Chal Jama Monastery. It was actually a shorter drive than Banapur, and that was great.

After getting some suspicious looks as I drive by some of Pagan's outposts, I manage to reach the monastery and on the balcony of the monastery was Ajay.

As soon as I had spotted him, I tried to be as stealthy as I could to reach him. I manage to avoid the avid helicopter. As I walk up the last set of stairs, I see Ajay throw a single grenade to the helicopter and it burned, and began to spiral out of control only to crash violently into the ground.

"Good shot, I thought it'd take you longer." I smile as tell him sarcastically. He immediately turns his head. Based off of his facial expression, I can tell he is as surprised as I am to be seeing each other once more.

"Y-you?" He asks me, furrowing his brow. Is he not happy to see me? After I thought he was dead?

"What's wrong, Ajay?" I ask him walking closer to him. Trying to make sure he knew that it was really me.

"I thought...you died." He says, wiping his hand down his face. He thought I died in the crash? I thought that Pagan had made contact with him.

"Did Pagan not tell you? He saved me after the crash, when I looked for you everywhere but I couldn't find you. I was left to see the driver dead...and I once thought that you shared the same fate." I looked at him, clearly upset.

"You're with Pagan?" He asks me, looking at me like I'm some crazy maniac on steroids.

"Right now, I'm with you. You're my brother, Ajay. You come before anyone. Remember our promise?" I walk closer to him, and he hugs me tightly.

"Of course I remember. How could I forget?" He says, pulling me close. He still smells like he always did; like leather.

"Come back with me. I can protect you better." Deep down I wanted to go with him. My instincts told me his Golden Path buddies wouldn't be as happy and as trusting as Ajay is. I think back to what Pagan had said at the palace and it was glued to the back of my head.

"I want to, but your friends...they don't like-" I stress, only to be cut off by Ajay.

"I don't care. They're going to have to accept you. And if they don't, I'll take care of them." He looks into my eyes and into my soul. God, why does he have to be so damn convincing?

"Okay. I'll go." And with that said, I had kept one promise, but broke another. I don't know what's going to happen once we reach Banapur, but I'm worried about how Pagan is going to react. I made a promise. And I intend to keep it. But also keep Ajay's. What the hell have I gotten myself into now?


	9. All Because of Me

Ajay and I pull into Banapur, my heart pounding and my palms sweating. I can already see the conundrum now.

"It's okay, Adalyne. You'll be fine." He looks at me, reassuringly. Bullshit! This was not going to go down as easily as he thinks it will. But, I'm already here. Time to go through with it anyway.

We walk down to see a whole bunch of houses cramped into a small area with people selling fruit and people farming. This seemed like it was harmless and peaceful. But I knew it wasn't.

I see a similar man with black hair pulled back into a ponytail and a woman who has her dark hair in braids. They look very authoritative and walk towards Ajay, and give me a very unpleasant look.

"Ajay, brother! You brought a traitor? What the hell were you thinking?" The man who saved us from Pagan says, throwing his hand up in the air and alerting the surrounding soldiers to come over to Ajay and I. How the hell can I get out of this now?

"Hey! Backup! Sabal, Amita, this is my sister, okay? She's not here to hurt you guys!" Ajay says, convincing the soldiers to at least lower their weapons.

"Ajay, she's with Pagan! She probably is spying on us! What have you told her?" Amita yells, pointing her finger in Ajay's face.

"She's not!" Ajay says before looking at me, "Right?"

I am unable to speak, and I try to come up with what to say but nothing came to mind.

Before Ajay could say anything else, a soldier hits me over the head and all I see is darkness.

I wake up with a pounding sensation in my head, and I can feel my wrists burning and being held together by something. Rope. Fucking rope.

"You had better get her out of there! She's my fucking sister, Amita!" I hear Ajay defend me from outside of the shed I'm in.

I look around to see myself locked inside a cage with two doors in opposite corners. If I could find a way to cut the rope away, I could escape out of one of those doors. I hate to leave Ajay, but Amita and Sabal are going to kill me. I have no other option at this point.

Before I could come up with any sort of plan, I hear the wooden door open, and see Amita walk in and look at me in utter disgust.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask her, returning the look.

"Because you chose your side. You chose Pagan. You are our enemy." She states, and leans against the wall with her arms crossed.

"I didn't have a FUCKING choice. I thought Ajay was dead and I had nowhere else to go. I had no one and I trusted him. I still trust him." I retorted back, causing her to push herself off the wall and walk towards me.

"You trust him? You actually think he's a GOOD person?" Amita says, slightly laughing.

"Yes. As far as I can see, all he wants is for me to be safe." I say, laughing in her face. Praying she leaves soon so I can run for the hills.

"I see..." Amita crouches to get closer, and then looks down at the ground only to stand up and kick me in the stomach. Causing me to contract and scream in pain.

I cough, and try to get air back into my lungs. Amita begins to punch me in the face. Over. And over again. I can't feel my face anymore and I'm pretty sure I have a broken rib.

Startled by the sudden sound of gunfire and bombs, Amita runs out of the room to see the commotion. Soon after the gunfire had stopped and the sounds of trucks driving away, led me to believe that everyone died. Amita, Sabal, Ajay, and those innocent civilians. All because of me.


	10. A Tormented Reality

My entire body was one huge ache. My eyelids were too heavy to stay open. I knew that if I could stand up, I could get the hell out of this place.

I try to push myself, but my arms immediately retaliate and are almost completely immobile. My head starts to pound, and I can't seem to focus on anything besides the amount of pain I'm in. I try to get up again, and I do. But, I almost directly hit the floor. That is, until I landed in someone's arms. Not just anyone's arms; Ajay's arms.

"Adalyne! Thank God that you're okay!" He breathes heavy as he speaks, trying to hold me up so I can walk. My knees buckle under me once more, but this time I fall out of consciousness.

I wake up in Pagan's palace. I look around my room to find a white, long, beautiful dress waiting for me in my closet. Shocked, I go in my closet to get a closer look.

"What? Is this a..." I question myself, running my hands up and down to feel the material.

"Beautiful wedding gown?" Pagan cuts me off, smiling and walking closer to me. Hesitantly, I embrace the happy Pagan into my arms. All of the sudden, he's so close that I can hear his heart beating in his chest. Before I had time to properly react, he kisses me. But not the way I had imagined: rough and forceful. No, this was gentle and soft. Nothing like I'd expected.

"Is there something wrong, dear?" Pagan asks, pulling away from the kiss. Breathless, I can't seem to come up with words to say.

"Speechless, huh? Just like the first time I had ever kissed you." He smirks, pulling me closer, but into more of a friendly hug.

"What is this? Are we engaged? Where's Ajay?" I ask, walking away from him and heading towards my bed.

"Adalyne, we've only been planning this wedding for a few days, but if you're having second thoughts, it's okay. If you want to wait until after the baby is born, that's fine too." He says, calming walking over to me and joining me on my bed.

"B-baby? There's a baby?" I question, running my hands through my hair, and gently running a hand over my belly.

"Uh, yes. Adalyne, are you sure that you're okay? I've heard of 'pregnancy brain' but-" He says worriedly, scooting a little closer to me. Pregnancy was always something I wanted to experience but was I ready to be a mother? How did I even get pregnant in the first place?

"Where's Ajay?" I ask, forgetting everything else. Or, well, trying to.

"He's helping rebuild Kyrat...Adalyne..." Rebuilding? Is the war over?

"So he's okay?" He nods, and I breathe out a heavy and relieved sigh. I'm so thankful he's safe, but what the holy hell is going on? Is this actually real?

"Yes. He's fine." Pagan says, putting his arms around me. I felt safe, which is something I haven't really felt since arriving in Kyrat. Since Mom died.

Suddenly, the ground started to crumble and I go in and out of consciousness once more. Which seems like something I do a lot.

"Wake the son of a bitch up! Kill him before he escapes, or I will have you killed myself!" I hear someone say, in a familiar deep voice.

The world starts to become a little clearer, and I see two men in the room; Pagan and some random soldier.

"P-pagan? What's going on?" I ask, realizing I'm tied up and back into a chair. Just like Banapur...

"Don't 'Pagan!' me! You know what you've done and you're going to have to face the consequences because all choices have consequences. Don't they, Yalung?" Pagan says, looking over to his right to show a very thin man wearing a red mask, holding some sort of knife in his hand.

Yalung? Haven't I heard that name somewhere? Like from the radio or something?

"No, I don't know. The last thing I remember is..." Come to think of it, I don't know what's real and what's not anymore.

I look to my left to see a mirror hanging on the wall but it isn't my own reflection I see...it's Ajay's.

"You turned on me and joined those FUCKING GOLDEN PATH MONKEYS!" Pagan yells, and Yalung steps forward and stabs me right in the stomach. Going in and out of consciousness, I can feel the knife and the blood pouring out. But, is it real? Is this really the end for me? Am I even me? Why was Pagan trying to kill Ajay? I know Ajay joined the Golden Path but would he really kill him?

Is this my reality?


	11. The Realization

I wake up in a cold sweat and let out blood curling scream. I look around the room and I appear to be back in the palace and in my room. Only this time, Pagan isn't in my room.

"Adalyne? Is somebody in here? Are you okay?" He runs into my bedroom, holding a pistol in his left hand.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." I breathe slowly. Trying to figure out if this is real or not.

"Ajay brought you here from Banapur and I thought you were dead. He just drove up and carried you up to my doorstep. I don't know how he made it up here, but he did." Pagan says, coming closer to me.

"When I see Amita, I'm going kick her fucking ass for giving you two broken ribs and a black eye." He says, wrapping his arms around me, just like he had before.

"This is real..." I say to myself, thinking about what had happened in the other realities. I unconsciously place a hand over my stomach protectively, and Pagan seems to notice and stands up.

"Are you pregnant?" Pagan looks at me, face full of concern and disbelief. I had always wanted a family of my own and little mini me's running around a huge house with a loving husband.

"No! Why would you think-" I look down at my stomach and wonder where he had thought that I could possibly be pregnant.

"Just...the way you held yourself." Pagan sighs, looking at the ground and fixing his suit. I could tell it was a nervous habit of his, those are hard to break.

"Did you ever want kids?" I blurt out, causing Pagan to be surprised. I was very self conscious of everything I was saying, I didn't want to cause any trouble.

"Of course! I always wanted kids and someone who could love me for who I am. Someone to grow old with, and to cherish life's little moments." The way he had spoke sent a little chill over my whole body; I could hear the pain in his voice and it had made me feel so terribly sad for him. Ishwari really put a dent in him.

I don't know if it was the slight headache and head injury, but I looked into his eyes. No, I looked into his soul and saw a whole other side to him; a sweet, beautiful side. That I'm sure no one has seen for quite some time.

"I'm so sorry..." I say, scooting a little closer where I could feel his every breath.

"For what? It's not your fault." He looks down and sighs quietly. I can't help but feel a deep empathy for him.

I slowly leaned in and kissed him. He didn't resist. It was just like it had been in my dream. Blissful and full of passion.

Maybe this is real. Maybe it's not. But I have came to a realization;

I love him.


	12. The Importance of Family

I know that we haven't known each other that long, but there's no doubt that I feel something for him. All he's shown me so far is how much he wants to protect me and keep me safe. And what he'll do to people who get in the way of that.

"Wow, that was very-" Pagan smiles at the ground, and runs his hand through his hair. I love it when he does that.

"Unexpected. Good." I smile at him, releasing all of the air I was holding in. Honestly, I didn't know what the hell I was doing.

"Yeah." He looks at me once more, before standing up and beginning to head for the door. I stand up as I was curious to know where he was going to go. But as I do, I fail. I trip and almost meet the floor before I feel another set of strong arms catch me. People keep doing that.

"I think you should stay here, okay? Just please get some rest?" He tries to convince me, and I agree with him. I do need to see Ajay again to see if he is okay. Especially after what had happened in Banapur or if that was real.

Pagan puts me back on my bed and hands me a glass of fresh water. He kisses my forehead and stands up and heads for the door one more time.

"Wait, where are you going?" I ask him out of pure curiousity. And also because I just wanted reassurance of where he was so I could find him if I needed help of any sort.

"Just going to check on my soldiers. I'll be back as soon as I can." I give him a nod, and head to the bathroom. I quickly try to change my clothes, having to stop because of the pain in my stomach. Damnit, Amita.

I grab car keys from outside the palace and jump into one of the vehicles.

It was a long drive, but I wanted to make sure that Ajay was okay. It so important. More important than before.

The radio comes on and I hear a man with a heavy accent begin to speak, and what he had to say was a little shocking.

"Hey guys! You're tuned into Radio Free Kyrat! So, the Golden Path has managed to take over nearly half of Kyrat's outposts!" That one statement made me think a little. Ajay's in the Golden Path so where would he be? Probably taking out outposts...

I could drive around and see which one he is at. Worth a shot, right?

After almost an hour of listening to Rabi Ray Rana, I drive past something I wasn't expecting...

the Golden Path was trying to save the poppy fields.

I pull up on a hill, to get higher ground and get out my binoculars.

I see many Golden Path members trying to defeat the reinforcing Royal Guard and the rest of the Royal Army. It looked like the Golden Path had a chance. And a hell of a good one at that.

After a while, the Royal Army stopped coming and the Golden Path had managed to take the poppy fields and keep them safe. It got very quiet until I hear footsteps coming from behind me.

I turn around only to see Ajay.

"What are you doing here? Are you okay?" Ajay says to me, grabbing my shoulders.

"I came to see you, I didn't think you'd be here of all places. And I'm fine." Still shocked from everything, I nod.

"Thank God you're okay. Pagan is so unpredictable." Ajay sighs and pulls me into a tight hug. A feeling of relief washes over my entire body. He's safe.

"Do you remember what happened back at Banapur?" I ask him. He looks at me sadly, with the same expression that Pagan once had.

"Yes, sadly, I do. Why are you asking me this?" Ajay looks at the ground for a second and then looks back up at me.

"I don't know what's real anymore. I had these-these...visions of the future and of you and I don't know what world I'm in right now. Ajay, I feel so lost. I can't tell if what I'm saying right now is even real. I haven't felt this alone since Mom died."

He looks into my eyes with a solemn expression. Shocked to hear every word that I had said. I hadn't been able to get any of it out, but it seemed like every word came rushing out of me all at once. I'd been keeping every ounce of my pain hidden inside a chest for so long. I had to let it come out at some point.

"Is that...is that how you feel? All those days where you were crying? Who was there, huh? I was the one who came to your room and hugged you for hours on end! I was the one who took you in when you needed me the most. I was one who loved you when we had NOBODY else who gave a shit about us. I was the one who told you everything was going to be okay when everything in our lives seemed to be falling to pieces. Why? Because I fucking love you. And that is what family is for. Nobody else would have done those things. You want to know why? Nobody else was there. We had NOBODY left in the whole goddamn world who even cared if we had food or shelter or anything. Don't you fucking DARE say you were alone. Because you weren't. You had me." I just stand there. Paralyzed. Speechless. Every word, every bit and piece of what he had said was true. It was the truth. The bitter, ugly truth.

I hadn't realized that he was going through more than I was. He had his demons and he only wanted to help me with mine. How fucking selfish am I?

"Ajay..." I cry, truly feeling guilty for everything I hadn't done for him. When HE needed ME. Family and love isn't one-sided. It should never be.

"It's okay...come here." We stand there. In an embrace for what seemed like forever. Family. What would I do without it?


	13. Safe and Sound

I begin heading back to the palace with Ajay's words stuck in my head. Man did those words stick like glue. Everything I said was so selfish and it was all about me. I should've been thinking about him and how he felt. All I could feel was my own pain. My own selfish, deluded pain.

My thoughts begin to distract me and the car begins to swerve off the road and the car begins to drop over the edge of the cliff.

"FUCK!" I scream as loud as I can, the car slowly falls down into the forest below. I hear a lasting loud thump and everything goes black for a second.

I look around me and see fire. There's a burning sensation down around my ankle, causing me to panic and hysteria sets in.

"HOLY SHIT!" I scream trying to ignore the intense pain that's going through my entire body. I manage to use the little bit of strength I have to push the door open. It doesn't work at first, but I keep at it. Eventually, I kick the door open and crawl my way out. Trying to ignore the overbearing pain in my ankle and pounding pain in my head.

I try to stand up and walk back to the palace, but my ankle has other plans for me. My ankle gives out and burns like black tar on a hot, summer day.

I sit there and cry my eyes out for about 10 minuets. Thinking about how I've let everyone down. I let Ajay down after everything he's done for me. I've let Pagan down for leaving when he specifically told me to stay put and rest. Did I listen? Hell no.

After my little pity party, I put on my big girl panties and begin to follow the road back to the palace. The long, agonizing road back to the palace. But it did give me lots of time to think long and hard about the day. The ringing in my ears had worsened, the blood coming from my ankle was still bleeding, I could feel my eyes getting tired and droopy. I started seeing blind spots in my vision. But, I kept going.

Walking past many outposts, I got many eerie eyes, worried looks, and blank faces staring back at me. But, I ignore them all and continue my painful journey back to Pagan. I was stressed about how he was going to react. He was the King after all. He could have me killed or worse...he could kill Ajay.

I manage to get to the palace doorstep before my head begins to burst in pain, making me hold my head in my hands. My vision blurs and I can't see two feet in front of me. The sun's light begin to burn my eyes like the fire in my ankle. My whole body shakes, my hands tremble, my heart races, and I feel some sort of liquid coming out of my nose and my ears.

I attempt to grasp the post, but my hands aren't strong enough. I fall to the ground with a loud bang. Feeling nothing but numbness.


	14. Guilty As Charged

wake up, feeling something sharp in my arm. I hear loud beeps in the background. I slowly start to open my eyes, and they adjust to the bright, white lights.

"What the hell?" I try to sit up, but the pain in my stomach retaliates against me.

"Relax, darling. You've already done yourself in." I hear a familiar voice say to me. For some reason I feel safe, instead of stressed or worried or anxious. I feel...okay.

"What happened? All I remember is coming back but I don't remember coming inside..." I try to think about what happened, but my mind kept pausing after I arrived at the palace.

"You collapsed at my doorstep. You were bleeding terribly. Do you even know what happened?" He asks me, sitting on my bedside. He begins to rub comforting circles with his fingers on my arm.

"I went to see Ajay and we kinda got into a fight but made up. I was on my way back but the car ran off the road and into a ditch. I tried to get home quicker, but my ankle-" He cut me off, I was freaking out and breathing heavily. It was happening again.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, it's okay. I'm here and you're safe. I got you." Pagan says pulling me into a sweet embrace. If I wasn't freaking out, I probably would've blushed.

We stay there until my heart rate slows and my breathing is normal. For some reason, I only feel closer to him and more in love with him.

"I don't want to worry you, but you're going to find out sooner or later..." Pagan stands up, and scratches the back of his neck.

"W-what do you mean? What is it?" I question as my voice cracks.

"You're ankle is broken and one of your ribs are fractured. The doctor said you have something called craniocerebral trauma." I had what? What he said was crazy! I walked miles on a broken ankle? That's literally impossible.

"What? I walked miles on a broken ankle...isn't that impossible? And besides, my ribs are fine. They don't even hurt that much." I defend myself. He looks at me like I was in a car accident. Which, to be fair, is the reality. I didn't want to be coddled. And I sure as hell wasn't going to let him.

"It must have hurt like a bitch. But no, it's definitely possible. You're just real tough, you know that?" He gives me a tender smile before leaning down to kiss my forehead. The kids sends butterflies to my stomach. I love it.

"No, I'm not. I was just trying to come back here, come hell or high water." I say, trying to ignore the fact that I did somehow manage to make my way back to the palace on my own with a broken ankle.

"Yes, my dear. You really are, whether you'd like to admit it or not. Now, please stay here and rest," He tells me softly, "I'm not going to say it again." He says giving my arm a light squeeze.

I'm going to do what I'm told for once. No more letting people down. I'm tired of feeling guilty for everything I don't do and do wrong. That me is gone.


	15. Good Thinking

I had a lot of time to think. And by a lot, I mean two weeks. I had thought about the wonderful night I had with drunk Pagan almost two weeks ago. Nonetheless, Pagan had been very strict about everything I did. He wouldn't let me leave the palace for anything. Absolutely anything. Only because he wanted to protect me, no matter what.

But, I had a lot of time to think about a plan. The plan that was hopefully going to end the war between the Golden Path and the Royal Army. What I heard Pagan say, hit me hard. I had seen some of the villages and they were very poor and very sad.

I was going to tell Pagan in the hopes that I could help save the people of Kyrat, myself, Ajay, and to save Pagan from any danger brought on by the Golden Path. I knew in the back of my mind that this wasn't going to be an easy task. But, I knew it had to be done. He had even said he wanted this himself. Everyone knows that when people are drunk, they tend to say the truth and how they really feel and they don't hold anything back. So, I'm sure he's going to side with me on this one. But honestly, Pagan isn't the one I'm worried about convincing.

I walked into Pagan's room, breathing deeply in attempt to calm my nerves. My hands tremble and I feel my legs begin to shake, I ignore these things and continue my journey to his room. Continuing to breathe and walk.

When I walk into the room, I remember the first time I had walked in and I saw Pagan half naked. I laughed to myself, earning the attention of the King.

I collected myself and my thoughts, and begin to speak my mind.

"Pagan, so I was hoping I could talk you into something that means a lot to me. And to a shit ton of other people too...including my brother." I say, breathing heavily. He doesn't say anything, instead he just looks at me intently and waits for what I'm going to say next.

"I would like to join forces with the Golden Path. I want to end this war. I want to rebuild Kyrat. It's not safe here. There's wild animals roaming everywhere, there's people that don't have homes, there are people who are starving and don't have food or water o-or-" I begin to sweat, and stutter really badly. I look over to Pagan. I only see a calm, loving Pagan. I was expecting a furious, reckless Pagan...but he was nowhere to be found.

"I think you're right. I'm so tired of fighting against them. I'm so tired of the war. I'm certain that I'm not the only one who feels this way." Pagan says standing up from his bed and walking towards me. He has a slight smile on his face.

"Wait...you're not against the idea?" I ask, shocked at what he had said. I was confused. Stunned. In denial.

"No, I actually...I've been doing some thinking for myself too. And I think you're right. I think it's time we make Kyrat a better place for everyone." Pagan smiles and he walks closer to me. I can feel his hot breath on my neck, sending a warm, fuzzy feeling through my veins.

"I'm so happy you agree. I hope the people don't think it's fake or anything. I hope they finally get the relief they deserve." I say, looking into his eyes. I never realized how shiny they were. He ran his hand through his blonde hair, and he licks his lips.

"When Ishwari left me, I took all of my pain and hate out on the people and the Golden Path because I was so angry at her. I know now that she wasn't the one for me, no. She never was. She was selfish, manipulative, she always got what she wanted no matter the cost to others. But you? You are so kind and loving and I honestly don't deserve you. It took me a second but I know that I love you, Adalyne. You and only you." Pagan says running his hands up my arms. Oh how I wanted to kiss him in that moment so badly. I could see it in his eyes as clear as the day; he wanted to also.

He slowly leaned in and kissed me softly at first. He adjusts his hand to hold my face so he could deepen the kiss. I let out a moan, making Pagan smile and stop for a moment.

"I love you too, Pagan." I whisper on his mouth. He begins to kiss me again but this time it's rough, more romantic, more raw.

He turns me around so that he can pick me up and carry me to the bed. I laugh as he lays me down, unbuttoning my shirt. He flawlessly takes his magenta pigmented pants off, and unzips my jeans. I smile down at him as he begins to kiss me everywhere possible. Goddamn if I love this man.

"Are you sure you want this?" He asks me, making me smile and nod. He continues to kiss me, I feel him slowly slide in my entrance and we begin to fade into eternal bliss.

I couldn't have been more wrong about how he was going to react that day. I'm so glad I decided to tell him. Nothing will stop me now. Nothing will stop us now.


	16. Sleeping Saints

I was almost asleep when I heard Pagan come in the palace door. I immediately jump up for my seat and walk over to him. Ignoring the pounding pain in my head.

He has tears in his eyes, and tries to hide his upset expression from me, but I can see right through it.

"Pagan, is everything okay?" I ask, walking down the set of stairs in front of me as I tuck a piece of my golden blonde hair behind my ear.

"Y-yes, my dear. Everything is just fine." He replies, trying to hide the cracks in his voice. I hadn't ever seen him so upset before, it had me worried sick. I had a bunch of negative thoughts jumping around my head.

"Everything doesn't look fine, Pagan what's going on? Why are you so upset? You know you can tell me anything, right?" I say, putting my hand on his cheek to wipe away his salty tears.

"I just...I can't keep doing this." He says, beginning to breathe heavier. His face is gentle, he doesn't want to hurt anyone.

"Keep doing what? What are talking about?" I ask him, concern washing over me. He looks up at me and glances deeply into my eyes.

"The war. I'm so sick of fighting the same battles! The same damn people! The same fucking people for ten GODDAMN YEARS! I just want it to end..." Pagan sobs, coming over to me and hugging me. He smelled of whiskey and a mixture of other alcohols. I knew that he was drunk, so I led him up to his bed. Being as careful as I can not to hurt him in any way.

"You're so pretty, Addie. You're so much prettier than Ishwari ever was, you know that?" I brush off what he says, thinking it was just the alcohol talking. But, what? Ishwari was one beautiful woman, she was who I aspired to be. She had beautiful, long brown hair and hazel eyes that never lost their shine no matter how old she got. She had the perfect tan skin and complexion.

I put him into some pink pajamas that I'm certain he would approve of and put him under the covers. Smiling to myself, I tuck him in.

"Sleep tight, babe. I'll see you in the morning." I say, as I switch off the lamp beside his bed. I start towards the door before I heard him speak once more.

"Can you stay with me? I'm lonely tonight." He asks me in a rush, as he sits up on his elbows. I smile, and turn around to face him. I slide into his bed and scoot as close to him as possible.

"You're so cold, Adalyne. Let me warm you up." He says and he grabs my leg with his warm hand and moves it over his stomach. His body radiates heat and I begin to match his slow breathing and slowly fall asleep in his arms peacefully.


	17. Gotta Keep Going

The next few days were rough. I had to find out where Ajay was staying and I needed to convince him to stop fighting. I had to get him to convince the two main people in this war; Amita and Sabal.

They were definitely the main people we had to bring to a halt. They were the two people who we had to convince first.

Pagan and I were in a bright red truck headed to Banapur when I heard Ajay's phone call. Without hesitation, I answer it.

"Hey, Ajay. It's me." I say as soon as I answered the call. I wait eagerly to hear what Ajay has to say.

"Hey, so I wanted to talk to you about something important. It's about Mom and Mohan." He says and I can tell he's anxious because the audio sounds shaky.

"Yes, and actually I need to talk to you too. Is there somewhere we can meet up? Alone?" I ask, trying to sound as calm and collected as possible. In truth, I was nervous as hell. I didn't know who he'd bring along if I told him that I had Pagan with me. So, I kept that part a secret. We didn't have any soldiers with us at. No, it was just Pagan and I.

"Yeah, can you meet me at the Sleeping Saints? It's quite here right now, and it's just me here." He replies and I agree to meet him there.

"Ajay, I love you. I'll see you soon. Bye." I say, and I hear Ajay reply with a 'goodbye' and we hang up. I still feel as nervous as ever. No breathing could ca my nerves at this point. We were too close to the end.

After about five minuets of driving, we arrived at the Sleeping Saints. I look up and see two massive statues in front of me.

"Wow! This is incredible!" I say, looking at the statues like pieces of art which they certainly were.

Pagan and I get out of the vehicle and started up the steps. I spot Ajay on the balcony and I shout at him.

"Hey Ajay!" I smile and wave at him to get his attention. Not only do I get his attention, but he sees Pagan and immediately stands up from his position and walks down towards us.

"Adalyne, why did you bring him here? He's dangerous!" Ajay says, hugging me tightly before turning around to look at Pagan.

"Listen, we are actually here to end the war." I tell him. He looks at me with confusion and I begin to elaborate on the idea.

"We are going to Banapur today to talk to Amita and Sabal about this too. We figured having you on our side would help out more." Pagan says for me, putting his arms around my shoulders.

"Why should I help you? And how the fuck are you going to end a damn war?" Ajay questions and looks at me, very skeptical of the idea.

"Because we want the war to end. We want to start over. We're planning on rebuilding Kyrat and having concrete roads, maybe adding more towns and houses. We just want Kyrat to be safe and to recoil it's beauty that it's always had. Don't you want this, too? Not just for our sake, but for yours and Mom's?" I ask him, joining him in sitting on the stairs.

"Yeah, I do. But how do I know I can trust you?" He eyes Pagan, and then looks back at me.

"You have me. And Pagan here is not going to hurt you. You've always had me, Ajay. I know that I haven't always been there in the past, but I'm here now. That's what matters." I say hugging Ajay one last time before we head off to Banapur.

"So...Banapur first, huh?" He laughs as he stands up and begins to walk to the truck.

"That's the plan. So how are we going to get Amita and Sabal alone when we go to talk to them?" Pagan says, crossing his arms.

"Well, we're hoping that they will see that we don't have any soldiers with us and they will hopefully let us speak with them. Let's just hope they don't have us all shot." I say, hoping in the drivers seat.

"I call shotgun!" Pagan yells happily, making Ajay sigh in annoyance.

"Man." Ajay says under his breath. I giggle at them both and begin to head to Banapur. Boy, was it going to be one hell of a day.


	18. Halt

"What the hell?" Amita walks out of a cabin, and is in complete disbelief.

Pagan, Ajay, and myself step out of the vehicle with our hands up. The whole town goes completely silent. Weary eyes burn holes in us.

"Sabal! Get out here, you're going to want to see this!" Amita yells, not taking her eyes off of the trio in front of her.

Sabal comes running out of the same cabin Amita came out of and takes a deep breath before exhaling.

"What is going on? Why are you here?" Sabal questions us, raising a pistol up at us.

"We don't have any guns on us and we don't have any soldiers with us, Sabal. We are here to discuss something very important." I say, keeping my hands up and above my head.

Amita looks as still as a statue and is still confused. Though, I don't blame her for that. This is very bizarre and quite unexpected.

"Can we talk in that cabin?" Ajay asks them, pointing to the cabin in which they both walked out of.

"You trust them, brother?" Sabal asks Ajay, looking deep into his eyes. Ajay just nods.

"Yes. I agree with the plan and I really think you will too. Just hear us out." Ajay replies, beginning to walk towards the cabin. Pagan and I quickly follow suit.

Sabal closes the door behind us all and looks at us still skeptical of us even being here. Which is probably how I would have reacted if the whole Golden Path showed up at my doorstep.

"So what's the big plan here?" Amita asks us, putting her hands on her hips and giving us a death stare. Damn, if looks could kill.

"We have decided that both sides; Golden Path and Royal Army are going to surrender and become one." Pagan says, putting his hands into his pockets. I look up at him and smile slightly.

"We surrender? To you? Oh hell no." Amita says, putting her hands on the table to lean on, angrily.

"Amita, maybe it's not such a bad idea. Maybe we could work a deal with them." Sabal says, trying to convince Amita. She looks up at Sabal, deciding to give us a chance.

"We want to help rebuild Kyrat and we want to bring back traditions but also build more modern houses and roads. Isn't that what you guys want here? To help the people of Kyrat live in a safer place?" I ask them, looking at them both with intense emotions. It was quiet for a second but they both seem to come to an agreement.

"I know you want traditions back, Sabal. Amita, I know you want to be building and modernizing Kyrat. We can do both, together. We can't keep fighting each other. It's time we end it. Right here, right now." Ajay says, pointing to both Amita and Sabal. They both look at each other for a second and then look back at the three of us.

"Okay, we'll do it. But what about you? King Min." Amita says pointing at Pagan with a judging finger.

"I'm supporting them. Adalyne and I actually discussed terminating the monarchy here in Kyrat. I think we would like to have a sort of council-type of government. Where a group of people agree on things that go on in Kyrat. We were thinking of calling it the Kyrati Council." Pagan says, looking down at me with a loving smile. I couldn't be more proud of us right now.

"Wow...so you both really want to change Kyrat, huh? Why the sudden change of heart?" Sabal asks, crossing his arms, still a little shocked at the proposal.

"Because Adalyne here convinced me that Kyrat isn't safe right now. It's a shame that everyone wakes up every morning and hears gunfire instead of bird chirping. It's a shame that people have guns sitting under their beds every night in fear of an enemy attack. That's no way to live. Besides, this war has been going on over a decade. Can't we just...stop?" Pagan asks, truly apologetically. Sabal and Amita look at each other, they some how manage to communicate without saying a word as they come to an agreement.

"I think we would like to join whatever this little group is. The 'Kyrati Council' right?" Sabal asks us, removing his arms from his chest. Ajay and I look at each other and smile for a second.

"Yes, you can do that. So, first things first. We want to rename the army for Kyrat. Any name suggestions?" I look around the room and see Sabal nod in agreement before speaking.

"We should just call it Kyrati Army. It's basic, and everybody will pretty much like it." Satisfied with his answer, everyone agrees. I don't think I've ever seen Amita and Sabal agree on something so this was a day for the history books.

"Are you going to surrender? We're going to head back to the palace to talk our soldiers and you guys can call all your soldiers here to talk to them. We'll work on a news broadcast to send all over Kyrat and I guess we will see you lovely people tomorrow!" I say cheerfully, clapping my hands together before coming back to my senses.

"Wait, shouldn't we have like a handshake or like a paper to sign?" I laugh, and everybody laughs at me. Pagan pushes me out the door before bursting out laughing again.

"What? It's a good idea, right?" I ask him, annoyed with his behavior. I turn back to see Amita and Sabal waving us goodbye and we all three jump into the red vehicle and drive off.

"That went way better than I had been expecting." I say, looking at the green, richness of Southern Kyrat. Mom was right, Kyrat truly is beautiful.


	19. Looking Back and Forward

Pulling into the palace, completely worn out from the day. I turn the car off and take the keys out of the engine and just sit there. I smile and look out the window at Kyrat. A place that needed saving. Desperately.

I look over at Pagan who has been looking at me the entire time. He has a smirk on his face, and I smirk back and lean towards him for a kiss. Before we could reach each other, Ajay coughs and gains both of our attention.

"So, can I stay the night here? I must have fallen asleep on the way here." I look at Pagan and he nods at Ajay. Ajay sits up from the brown leather seats and opens his door to get out. Pagan and I lean in quicker this time and kiss each other. It's short, but it's worth it. I giggle and get out of the car, following behind the exhausted Ajay.

"I can only imagine how tomorrow is going to be with the broadcast. I hope everything goes well." I say before walking into the palace doors. I see Ajay look around in awe before turning around to face us.

"So, can you tell us more about Ishwari? And Mohan?" Ajay asks Pagan. I hadn't really asked him about Mom before because he got so upset the last time I had asked. But this time, he seemed more relaxed talking about it. But, I could tell it was a very touchy subject.

"Sure, you should probably sit down." Pagan says, walking us up to the next floor and seats us at the table.

"What do you want to know?" Pagan asks Ajay, looking very intently at him. He listens closely to everything that Ajay says, making sure to answer any and all his questions.

"How did you meet my mother?" Ajay asks, looking down at his lap for a second and then looks up, back at Pagan's saddened figure.

"Well, it was about twenty years ago, I was out working with my father in the poppy fields a few miles from here and I saw your mother running away from something. I saw your mother running from a tiger. So, I grab my father's gun and on the third shot I killed the tiger. So, I immediately run towards her to see if she's okay." Pagan says, intertwining his fingers.

"Was she okay?" Ajay asks Pagan, with a very concerned expression on his face.

"Yes, in fact she was laughing. I was confused at first, but she stood up and said 'thank you'. I will say it was love at first sight." Pagan laughs, and then looks at Ajay again.

"You're probably wondering what Lakshmana is too. Lakshmana was actually your half-sister. She was killed by your father Mohan. Your mother then killed Mohan in return. She was so upset, Ishwari was. I remember when she came in here. She was crying and was covered in blood. It was one of the worst days of my life." I look at Pagan and grab his hand to hold. He looks down at the sight and squeezes my hand reassuringly.

"Wait, I had a sister? My dad killed her? Why did he do that?" Ajay asks, looking slightly confused.

"Yes. You see, Lakshmana was mine and Ishwari's daughter. Your mother was working for the Golden Path to spy on me. But, we fell in love and had Lakshmana only two years after she had you, Ajay." Pagan looks at Ajay and Ajay looks at the floor in silence. I stand up and walk over to him. He stands up to hug me. Ajay loosely hugs me before I feel his chest begin to shake and quiver and I hear silent sobs of pain over my shoulder. I felt something inside me break. It hurt me so much to hear and see him so devastated and upset.

"Ajay, it's okay. I got you. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. You have me." I say rubbing his back comfortingly. I can't remember the last time I saw Ajay cry. He didn't even cry at Mom's funeral. He stayed as strong as ever. The strong Ajay that I've always known him to be. Ajay was not a crier. So, I knew he was in pain. I could feel it.

"And you have me, too." Pagan says, standing up from his chair and walking over to us. He joins he joins the hug and we stay there for at least ten minuets before finally letting go.

"Are you okay now? Do you need anything?" I ask Ajay, still looking concerned.

"No, thank you. Thank you, Pagan." Ajay says, looking at Pagan in the eyes this time. Pagan only nods, and then begins to lead us to Ajay's room. We show Ajay his room before walking back to Pagan's room. Which I guess is where I'll be continuing to stay.

"So, thank you for today. It means a lot to me and to Ajay. I can never repay for that. I love you, babe." I say, sliding my shirt off and changing into my pajamas.

"I love you too, Ad. And if you ever need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask." He says, sliding under the covers.

We kiss before slowly dozing off into a soundless, peaceful slumber.


	20. The Hardest Part

Today was going to be a long day. With the broadcast underway, and talking to the soldiers first, today was going to be a tough day. I knew that today was going to be super crucial for the future of Kyrat, so I tried my best to hide my fear of failure. Not just from Pagan, but the people of Kyrat. 

"You ready, dear?" Pagan asks me as he fixes his tie. I walk out from the bathroom in a short, baby blue dress and Pagan is completely silent.

"What do you think? Is this okay for today?" I ask him, turning around.

"You look absolutely perfect, Adalyne. God, you are so beautiful." Pagan pulls me close to him, he smells like lavender and roses and I don't ever want to leave. But, Kyrat is waiting.

Pagan held my hand as we gathered outside the palace. Every soldier who is on the Royal Guard and the Royal Army are outside of the palace. This was going to be very nerve wracking.

"You guys are gathered here today for one thing. For what, you must be wondering. Kyrat is underway for becoming a new home for all. We are surrendering and so is the Golden Path." Pagan states and everyone starts to whisper among themselves but when there are tens of thousands of people gathered in one area, it's gets rather loud quickly.

Pagan coughs and regains their attention before continuing his speech, "We are going to become one army. We are going to be Kyrati's finest. We have already ordered new uniforms for everyone. However, one about a quarter of you are going to be in the 'army.' The other three quarters of you, are going to be helping us rebuild Kyrat. We are going to restore Kyrat's beauty once more. We are going to become allies with the Golden Path. Later today, there is going to be a broadcast that will be shown all across Kyrat. What will be said, you will find out. For know, I want all of you to put down your weapons and rejoice. Because we are one step closer to making Kyrat a better place. Not just for you and I...but for everyone." Pagan finishes. I was amazed at how easy it was for him to publicly speak in such a refined, respectful manner. And he did and he did it well.

We both go back inside the palace to prepare for the broadcast. I was as nervous as ever. I knew that Pagan could see that now. A huge weight is bearing on my shoulders. But, I knew that I had to do this.

Thirty minutes later, Amita and Sabal pull into the palace driveway and we all go outside to happily greet them.

We waste absolutely no time in getting ready for the broadcast. We are all seating at a large, round table in front of a massive, black camera. I gain my composure and wait for Pagan to begin speaking.

"Hello, people of Kyrat." Pagan begins. I listen intently to what Pagan has to say. And I'm trying my best not to giggle or laugh or do anything remotely stupid.

"We are all gathered here to announce something very special. We have decided to end the war and join forces. We have also decided to totally terminate the monarchy here in Kyrat. Which means that I am resigning from being your King. Everyone at this table is a part of a group called the 'Kyrati Council.' We are Kyrat's government now. In the following weeks, there will be an election for three seats at this table. We need people like you to help us make Kyrat a better place." Pagan finishes, looking over at me. I take a quick, deep breathe before speaking.

"My name is Adalyne Ghale and I am going to be helping rebuild Kyrat. We have plans for building more homes, concrete roads, and we have plans to build more towns and markets. Kyrat will no longer be a third-world country. We are going to be bigger, better, and stronger than ever. Not because of power, but because we will be one. We will no longer be split in half, no. We will become one." I say, satisfied with what I had said. Nodding to Amita and Sabal to start.

"This is not fake. We have signed a treaty, this is real. Kyrat is one step closer towards become a better place for everyone. But, we simply cannot do this without everyone's support. It cannot be done without you." Anita says, looking directly into the camera.

"So, people of Kyrat. The war as we know it...is over. Please, help us rebuild. Help us get stronger. Help us become one. Help make Kyrat a better home. " Sabal says, nodding at Amita and making everyone at the table smile.

"I'm so terrible sorry for everything I have done as King. I have failed you many times. Today, today is the day everything changes for the better." Pagan says, apologizing to all of Kyrat. I'm sure there will still be people who hate him, but at least he apologized and tried to make amends. That's what matters.

"Thank you, Kyrat. May you find the light at the end of the tunnel because there is a lot to be done. We hope to see everyone helping us make Kyrat a better place." Ajay says, with a very sincere look on his face. Coming from the son of Mohan himself, I'm sure people will help our cause now.

The camera turns off and we all sigh in relief. I guess the hardest part is over...for now.


	21. The Beginning of the End

The broadcast was over. Amita and Sabal were actually on good terms and for once not arguing. Ajay had begun building the first new homes just outside of Banapur and Shanath. Pagan and I had grown closer together more than ever. I moved into his room and we had been sleeping together almost every night since the broadcast. Everything seemed to be falling into place. That is, until three weeks into reconstruction.

I had been talking to some of the villagers in Banapur when the least expected happened.

"Do you need me to carry that for you, miss?" I ask one of the older women who was for some reason carrying a massive cargo shipment.

"Yes, please. Thanks so much, Adalyne!" She responds and begins to sit down and take a well-deserved break. As I put the box down in front of the construction sight, I feel sick. Nauseousness hits my body and begin to feel faint. I quickly run over behind a tree and throw up my breakfast. It made me more sick to look at it. So, I turned around and four people had taken notice of my sickness and had already rushed over to my aid.

"Are you okay? Do you need us to call Pagan? Or Ajay?" The villagers ask me, I sigh and tell them no. They still look concerned, but I continued on with the rest of the day. I simply brushed the whole thing off as just being some food poisoning or something of the sort.

I got a call from Ajay as he told me he had just finished the construction on a whole subdivision of homes. I was extremely excited and told nearly everyone in the village. They all seemed happy and relatively excited.

The day went by very slow, and I headed back to the palace. When I came home, I noticed that there were a bunch of candles light all in a row, along with a bunch of rose petals leading to the upstairs. I follow the pathway and find Pagan sitting at the dining table. The table has a beautiful red, cloth draped over it and candles lining the outside and rose petals scattered. I smiled even more when I saw Pagan wearing all red; a color he usually never wears unless it's a very special occasion.

"What is this?" I ask, stunned at how beautiful everything is. I look around and the entire palace is decorated in stunning red colors. What catches my eye is something even more shocking.

"It's my way of showing you how much I love you." Pagan stands up from his seat and walks over to me with the biggest, sexiest grin I've ever seen.

"I love you so much, Pagan. I know I don't say it enough." I say, leaning towards his chest.

"I wanted to ask you something. Will you do me the favor of saying 'I love you' forever?" Pagan asks putting a hand in his pocket. I step back for a second. I didn't know what to say. I definitely wasn't expecting this right now. How could I ever say no?

"Is this real? Oh my god!" I ask him, my cheeks becoming obviously red and I can't seem to shake the smile off of my face. Pagan nods and lowers himself to one knee.

"Adalyne, will do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive...will you marry me?" Pagan asks, me revealing a beautiful, silver diamond ring. Not too big or flashy and not too small. It was absolutely perfect.

"Yes! Of course I will!" I shout, as he slide the ring on my left hand. I jump into his arms and he spins me around and kisses me softly as he puts me down.

"Do you want to eat now?" He asks me, I'm still shocked at what had just happened. I was getting married! This was huge! I had to tell Ajay!

"Yes...does Ajay know?" I ask him, as Pagan pulls my chair out for me like a true gentleman. He smiles and sits down at his seat, right in front of me.

"Who do you think I asked permission from?" Pagan smiles as he looks at me with love in his eyes. It made me heart so warm. I couldn't be happier.

We ate for ten minutes before I felt the bile in my stomach begin to rise to my throat. The same sickness I had felt earlier today had came back. I ran to the bathroom immediately.

I emptied my entire stomach out. I hadn't realized but Pagan had followed me to the bathroom and saw it all. He crouched down and held my hair out of my face and rubs circles on my back soothingly. I had finished getting all the contents of my stomach out, when I flushed and started to brush my teeth.

"Are you okay? Was it the food?" Pagan asks me, with a very worried expression on his face.

"I think so, yeah. This actually happened earlier today. I think I might have something." I reply back, wiping the sweat that was beading at my forehead off.

"Maybe we should call it a day?" Pagan asks me, looking at me up and down for any signs of distress.  
I nod at him.

"You think?" I laugh, trying to play the sickness off as being nothing. Pagan buys it and we sleep soundly.


	22. A New Love

I wake up in a sweat and feel the bile rise again. I run quickly but quietly over to the bathroom to throw the contents of my stomach up once more. I managed to not wake Pagan. I quickly clean up and head back to bed before he notices that I'm gone.

To my surprise, I had woken Pagan up and he was worriedly standing outside the bathroom door. He waited to speak.

"Are you okay?" He asks me, still very concerned about my health. I continue to nod and I head back to bed.

"Promise me that if you don't get better by tomorrow, you'll see a doctor?" Pagan asks, I laugh at him and nod again.

The sound of birds wakes me up and I feel for Pagan but he isn't in bed anymore. I get up and look around for him, but I can't seem to find him anywhere. I head back up to his room and change into fresh clothes for the day and make my way back to Banapur.

I think I had an idea of what was wrong with me. But, I wanted to make sure I knew first before I even brought it up.

I searched around Banapur for a while to find a special 'doctor' that might help me out a bit. After about twenty minutes of searching, I come across a older woman and she looks up at me and speaks, "Oh Adalyne! How wonderful to see you. Might I ask what you're doing here?" She asks me, looking slightly confused. I laugh and glance down at the floor for a second.

"I need your help." She nods and then she nods again as she realizes why exactly I'm there in the first place. I follow her back to her room where she helps people and she begins to work her magic.

"Adalyne...you're pregnant! Looks to me like eight weeks along." She says to me, I'm not sure whether to be excited, nervous, or angry. Instead, I smile back at her and I hear the heartbeat on the monitor.

"Oh my god..." I whisper to myself, as tears swell up in my eyes. I was having a baby. A baby. This was a big deal. But, what I ready to be a mom? Was Pagan okay with having children? What if he didn't want a baby right now? What-if's fill my head with worry but I push those negative thoughts out. All I can focus on is the little heartbeat I hear. That's my baby.

I thank her for her services and head out to find Ajay. If anyone is going to find out first, it should be Ajay.

I pull into Shanath and spot him on the roof of one of the houses he's been working on. I watch my step as I walk closer to him so that he can hear me.

"Hey Ajay! Can you come down for a second? I have something to tell you!" I yell up at him, he looks down at me and smiles gently.

He steps down from the ladder and walks towards me. I smile and exhale slowly.

"I'm pregnant." I say to him, he stands still for a second but he hugs me so tight, I can't breathe.

"Uh, you're probably hurting the baby." I say, out of breath entirely. He immediately let's go and jumps up and down excitedly.

"I'm gonna be an uncle? This is amazing!" Ajay says to me, looking at my left hand. He grabs my hand and looks me in the eye with the happiest look on his face. It's so nice to see Ajay truly happy. I hadn't seen him this happy in a long time.

"I gotta go back home but, I love you! See you tomorrow!" I wave to him as he waves back and continues to climb to the room of the almost finished home.

I pull back into the palace and I couldn't have more adrenaline pulsing through my body. I run up to the house and look around to find Pagan. I run to his room and find him naked. Wow...memories.

"You really like walking in on me being naked, huh?" He laughs, not trying to hide anymore.

"I guess I do," I laugh back, "can you come here real quick? I want to tell you something." He walks over to me after he put on some clothes and sits down next to me on the bed.

I grab his hand and put it on my stomach. At first he's utterly confused. But then he understands.

"Are you-"

"Pregnant!" I say, putting my other hand over his hand placed gently on my stomach. He kisses me roughly and crouches down to put his other hand on my belly.

"Hey there, it's your daddy! I can't wait to meet you!" Pagan says, lovingly. He just stays there, feeling around my belly trying to feel the baby move.

"I'm eight weeks. I got pregnant the first time we ever had sex. Isn't that crazy?" I say, looking at the half-dressed Pagan beside me.

"It only takes one time, Ad." He laughs at me, but I just roll my eyes at him. Life seemed to get calmer but at the same time, it only got crazier.


	23. That Moment

Construction had been going great. The new town of 'Kalinaugle' had been finished within five months of construction. It was beautiful. Named after the traditional Kalinag stories. They were much more modern than the older homes, they were cleaner, they were stronger and definitely build to last a lifetime. Things in Kyrat honestly couldn't be better.

Soon days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Time seemed to wither away from everyone. However, the excitement of moving into new homes made it all better. I hadn't seen one villager upset in a very long time and that fact made me so incredibly happy and proud.

I was standing right outside of Shanath and was waiting for Ajay, as I was supposed to take him to the next subdivision location that was soon going to be another 'Kalinaugle' town. I was excited but anxious to start planning the homes designs and character. Making each home unique from the others and special to all of the families. It was as important to me as it was then.

"So what happens now?" Ajay asks me, continuing to drive to the next location.

"What do you mean?" I ask him, furrowing my brows. I had no idea what he was talking about.

"What's going to happen after Kyrat is done being rebuilt?" Ajay asks me, glancing at me every so often and maintaining his focus on watching the road.

"I'm not sure..." I trail off. I was thinking about America and the things we left behind; the house, the life we had there, and most importantly, the memories we made.

"I mean, are you wanting to sell the house in America? We can, but I didn't know if you wanted to just live here or move back." Ajay says, trying to look at me and my reaction.

"Yeah, I think we should sell it." I say, slowly rethinking my decision. Should we sell it? Something that holds as much value as a home? It was one of the last things we had that reminded me of mom. Did I want to lose her in that way again? Could I handle that?

"Are you sure? I think we should but if you don't, please tell me and I won't. I would actually like to stay here and live here. Kyrat is absolutely stunning and mom was right about one thing; it doesn't compare anything to America." Ajay replies, he smiles as he ends his last word. I can't help but agree with him. I think we should start over. What better place to start over that Kyrat? Especially since I had just entered my third trimester of my pregnancy.

"Y-yeah. And I thinks it's a wonderful idea to start over here. Besides, we have seats on the Kyrati Council. We can't just abandon Kyrat like Mom did. She was selfish." I say, rubbing one hand up and down on my belly. It had started to sink in that I was about the have a baby. A living, breathing creature that had my own blood running through its veins. The reality of it all was terrifying but also extremely exciting all at the same time.

"So, how many more weeks? I'm excited to see my little niece or nephew. Hopefully, it's a boy." Ajay says, smiling brightly at me. He was so excited for such a big change to happen in our lives. I think it's sad that he's alone and doesn't have anybody to love in that way. He has me, but that's not the same as having a girl in your life that you love and deeply care for on a whole other level.

"Well, I'm twenty-six weeks right now. I'd say about fourteen more weeks to go!" I say, holding my belly with such pride and joy. This baby was going to be a wonderful little addition to our family. Pagan and I are planning to have the wedding within the next week. I've been trying to wait until the last minuet for the dress because of my fast-growing belly. Nothing seems to fit anymore for more than a week or two.

Ajay continues to drive me to Banapur to check on things and make sure everything is going smoothly. When we pulled in, I noticed how everyone was gathered in one area and they were all standing in a circle.

Ajay and I walk towards the people and see a woman who was on the ground, clearly in a hell of a lot of pain. I knew once I had seen her belly, that she was in labor.

My adrenaline kicked in, and I immediately run down to her as fast as my own belly would take me. I ask everyone to move politely and they all went back to work as Ajay was assisting them all. I carried the woman to a nearby tent and then I begin to help her deliver the baby.

"OH KYRA!" The woman screams in agony, making me look at her and feel extremely sorry for her. Damn, labor looks pretty bad.

"It's okay, just breath for me. Can you do that? In and out." I coach her, holding onto her shoulder to attempt to get her ready to start pushing. The intensity in the room was overbearing and I was trying my best to steady my hands.

I recall my time in medical school back in the states, and I quickly run outside the tent to grab a couple of major items needed for a newborn. I grabbed a couple of clean towels, a pair of scissors and wet rag to wipe the baby off. I race back to the tent and continue the laboring process.

Within the hour, the newest Kyrat arrival had been born. I was covered in sweat, the woman was drenched and didn't seem to care. She held the innocent child in her arms, and did so with the biggest smile on her face. The joy of life is something indescribable; it's painful, but the life and happiness it brings is absolutely beautiful. I couldn't wait to welcome my own life into the world. 

It wasn't until that moment, that I knew. I knew that I was truly ready to become a mother.


	24. An Unexpected Turn of Events

The construction in Shanath, Banapur and Tirtha had been completed and finalized. The end was near and couldn't have been more joyous. Kyrat was a new place for people to live comfortably and happily. People like my own family.

The wedding was happening. Today. In ten minutes. I had my long, white dress on with sheer mesh long sleeves draping over my arms, and a beautiful sterling silver hair piece placed neatly and carefully on my head.

I had a short, sterling silver necklace on revealing my neck and it's curvature. My dress was plain other than the lace belt wrapped elegantly around my waist, perfectly framing my figure in all the right ways. My belly was quite round and it looked like I was full-term. Even though I'm only seven months along.

My makeup was done flawlessly, not a single lash out of place. I look really ready to get married. I took a deep breath and looked in the mirror.

I heard Ajay enter the room and I turned around to face him. He was wearing a black suit and white tie and was nearly ready to walk me down the isle. I figured since my dad had passed and he was the only solid brotherly and fatherly figure in my life, it was only fit for him to walk me down the isle. He was certainly happy to do the job and did it with flying colors.

"You look beautiful, Adalyne." Ajay says, smiling at me. I give him a big smile and he takes me hand and we begin to walk for the door to start the wedding march.

My heart was pumping so loud that it was the only thing I could hear. It was like ringing in my ears. My palms had a coat of sweat on them and my legs were shivering with anxiety of failure. I was nervous, but not to marry Pagan. I was worried I would fall or look obnoxiously stupid in front of a shit ton of people. This was supposed to be the biggest day of my entire life. I did not want to have some ridiculous fuck up on my wedding day. If there was a time to not screw something up, it'd be right now.

"You ready?" Ajay nudges me and I collect my thoughts and begin to walk down the isle. I hold onto Ajay's arm so tightly, I think I might have started to cut off his circulation. I grasp onto my dress so it didn't drag so much. He didn't say anything, he just smiled and kept walking.

At the end of the isle was Pagan. The moment I saw his eyes and they instantly locked with mine, I knew I was doing the right thing. I was ready for this. My nerves calmed, the beating of my heart had slowed and my face became more relaxed. I loved Pagan, he loved me. It was mutually beneficial in every way. We didn't need to be together forever to know that we were truly made to be. It was meant to be. We both knew that the second we had laid eyes on each other.

As I get closer to Pagan, the lust in our eyes only intensified and I knew exactly where I wanted to be. I wanted to be wrapped in his arms, I wanted to feel warm and safe right beside him.

Ajay hands my hand off to Pagan's and he kisses my cheek before handing me off to Pagan. Pagan's hand found my own and they intertwined together. I couldn't help but grin at the sight. I didn't think I would be getting married when I was coming to Kyrat. I never thought I'd be pregnant either, but I guess shit happens, right?

The exchange of vows went by without a problem, and the butterflies in my stomach begin to get more wild. The officiant wraps up the ceremony, and I wait eagerly for him to say the words. Pagan's grip on my hands tightens, probably because of nerves and I just giggle at him. He was actually nervous about something.

"Do you, Pagan Min, take Miss Ghale to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The officiant asks Pagan, and Pagan instantly answer him. Like he had been practicing this moment his entire life.

"I do, and I always will." He says, looking deep into my ocean blue eyes. I don't blink at all, I just take him all in.

"Do you, Adalyne Ghale, take Mr. Min to be your lawfully wedded husband?" I turn my attention to Pagan before speaking. I would never forget this moment.

"I do. Always and Forever." I say, smiling and my eyes locked in Pagan's. My officiant closes his book and then smiles before finally announcing what everyone showed up for. I mean, why else would you attend a wedding?

"Well, I guess that's it, right?" He asks us all, we give him a very confused look. He didn't even announce us a married couple. I was not about to have something like this happen, it wasn't fair.

After a few weary moments, he laughs it off, as it was a planned humorous thing. It wasn't very funny, however. I don't think Pagan thought it was very funny either. But, we keep calm and just get back into the moment. The happiest moment of my entire life. What little girl doesn't dream about the perfect wedding? The dream wedding I had always wanted was happening and was right in front of me and I couldn't be any more happy or grateful.

"Oh yeah! I now pronounce you husband and wife. Now you may kiss the bride!" He yells cheerfully. Pagan and I lunge for each other and envelope ourselves into a bittersweet kiss. Time stops for a moment, and it seems like we're the only ones in the room. It wasn't until I heard the shouting and clapping that had started that I was reminded of reality.

We stopped our kiss and faced the audience. They looked almost as happy as we did, but nothing could beat this moment. Absolutely nothing. Or at least I had thought.

An incredibly terrible and sudden pain in my lower abdomen had me grasping onto Pagan for support and I clenched my stomach in agony. It was time for the baby to come. How convenient?

"Oh shit..." I whisper to Pagan, he looked just as shocked as I was. I guess today really was the biggest day of my life.


	25. Welcome to Kyrat

Pain surged through my entire body and sent shock waves to my brain. My whole body was in so much pain and it was absolutely intolerable. My breathing has become irregular and my heart was racing so fast. The only thing that I could focus on was the pain I'm in.

"Oh my god, this hurts!" I scream loudly, as Pagan's face goes a little pale. I could tell he was in the middle of deep thinking but there wasn't time for deep thinking, I was in labor and this baby was coming now. Whether either of us was ready for it or not.

"OW!" I yell, squeezing Pagan's hand so tight it starts to turn a dark shade of blue. I let go slightly, but am still holding onto his hand pretty tight. He doesn't say anything, and just accepts that I need to hold his hand for support right now.

I was laying on a bed in the palace where they had a medical team to help deliver the baby. Pagan had them ready for about two weeks, in case I had gone into any labor or any trouble during the pregnancy. Since I was going into premature labor, they had to be more cautious of everything that was going on. It was of the upmost importance.

"It's okay, Adalyne. We need you to stay calm and breathe." They attempt to tell me, but they don't seem to understand how much pain I'm in. It's not like they have ever given birth to anyone.

"Excuse me? You're telling me to calm down?" I laugh maliciously in disbelief, but they ignore me and continue on with getting ready to start pushing. I knew that pushing was going to hurt like a son of a bitch, but I was ready for this baby to come into the world. I wanted to see my baby more than anything right now. Nothing and nobody was going to stop me.

"It's time to start pushing, but we need you to breathe and push." They say, getting situated and ready for the birth. I was beginning to breathe heavily and I started to push.

They counted to ten and it was driving me crazy, but I ignored them and tried to focus on getting the baby out. Damn, they aren't lying when they say childbirth is one of the most painful human experiences.

"Come on, Ad! You've got this!" Pagan says, getting closer to my face. He had became more confident in himself and he had begun to be my little personal cheerleader and right now I could definitely use one of those.

"LAST PUSH!" The team says in unison, I yell and with the final push came a crying child. The most innocent and loving sounds of a baby crying filled the entire room. It was the most precious sound I had ever heard.

"It's a girl." They tell Pagan and I, I smile and all I really want to do is hold her in my arms. They take her away to clean her up and wrap her in a warm towel so she can stay warm.

"Oh my..." I say, as they hand her to me. I carefully swaddle her in my arms. She's not very big at all, she is so fragile and I'm almost afraid that I'll break her.

Pagan smiles at me and says, "She's so beautiful. She looks just like her mother." I smile and we kiss one more time before taking in our new daughter.

She had a beautiful head full of blonde hair, she had blue eyes and had freckles on her nose and forehead. He was right, she definitely looked like my child.

"What do you want to name her?" Pagan asks, I didn't know. I just wanted her to stay like this forever; in my arms and be this little for all eternity.

"I like..." I had to think for a second. Did I want to name her after Ishwari? That'd be weird. But, I could get some inspiration from it.

"I like Isabella." I say, as Isabella wraps her little hand around my pointer finger. My heart explodes with love and laughter. I don't think I could be much happier than I am right now.

"I-It's perfect." Pagan smiles, and rubs my arms in comfort. This was exactly where I wanted to be. Safe and together as one. Just like we had said an hour ago in our vows.

"Welcome to Kyrat, Isabella." I say, her hand still holding my finger. I loved her even before I met her. Isn't that crazy how you could love something so much even before you knew them? That's true love.


	26. You Promised Me

Four Years Later

Isabella was four now. She had learned to walk, talk, read, and even write. She was still the same little girl she was when she was born. She still had long, blonde hair that had been curled into locks. She was still very pale and caucasian, but still had a slight tan from the Kyrat weather. She had those blue eyes that were the same shade as the sky as my own. She looked nearly identical to myself, but she was more beautiful and she was so selfless and kind to everyone. She was truly happy and I know that I can say the same.

Kyrat had become what I wanted it to be; a safe haven for everyone. There were three 'zoos' around Kyrat that held the wild animals that once roamed in the streets. It was much safer, there were no more wild animal attacks and people were outside far more than they used to be.

The towns and subdivisions had been finished for a couple of weeks now, and everyone in Kyrat had a place to call home and had food and water. All things were good in Kyrat. There were even several clothing and home design shops around. It was just like America.

People had been asking if Pagan and I were going to have another baby, and we said we didn't know. Really, it wasn't up to us. If we have another one, then we have another one. There really isn't a plan. I know that Pagan would love have another one, as he's expressed this many times throughout the last four years. I too wanted Bella to have a sibling or two but I wasn't sure that now was the time. Kyrat definitely wasn't finished.

Everything was going incredible, until the day came that we had to capture one of Kyrat's most dangerous animals; the shadow leopard. It was gorgeous, but very lethal. We didn't want inexperienced people to attempt at capturing the creature. So, we had someone we knew could do the job.

"I'll do it." Ajay says, walking towards Pagan and I. What? I wasn't about to let my brother go after some animal that could kill him. I know that he'd been hunting animals for a while now, but this wasn't just some honey badger.

"No way in hell I'll let you do that." I says sternly, making sure to look him in the eye when I do. I would find someone else to do the job. This was too dangerous a job for him. I loved him and trusted him, but this? Oh fuck that.

"Yes, too late. I'm going." Ajay says, gathering his things and beginning to walk away from us. I wasn't going to let him go, come hell or high water.

"At least...at least let me send someone really experienced to go with you." I say, trying to catch him before he left. He turned around and nodded and I grabbed the most reliable person to go with him.

The guy had killed many tigers and bears in his days and even was able to kill that special honey badger that was brutally murdering people left and right. I knew I could trust him to protect Ajay. Or so I had thought.

"Where the hell are they? They were supposed to be here six hours ago!" I say, frustration coming out of me. I run my hands through my hair, I was hoping they'd come rushing in here and be okay. That's all I wanted. Is that too much to ask for?

"I'm sure they'll be back soon. I know it." Pagan says, hugging me from behind. Nothing could calm me down. I needed to know my brother was okay.

The yelling coming from outside the hut in Shanath, made me jump. I was curious to see if it was Ajay who had made his grand appearance in the Arena as he was coming back from the hunt.

I made my way out and begin to walk up the stairs to the door to the arena. There were a bunch of people huddled in a circle and they were dead silent. I was deeply confused and concerned. What the fuck was going on?

I push people out of the way so I could see. What I saw, made me wish I could be blind. My heart stops and my stomach drops. Suddenly, I can't breathe. Everything around me seemed to cave in and I couldn't handle it.

I fall to my knees and the ugliest sobs start to shatter my entire body. I hold Ajay's limp body in my arms, as I try to do CPR on him, but he doesn't budge. I lay beside him, not caring that I was covered in his blood. That didn't even cross my mind at all.

I never thought I'd lose Ajay. Not like this, at least. I thought he'd die naturally. Like from old age. This was too surreal. I didn't care that nearly everyone was staring at my hysterical self.

"NO! I-I-I..." I sob, my voice shakes and I can't breathe. I keep stuttering and telling myself that I can help him. He was dead, his body temperature was already dropping. He was very cold, he never liked to be cold.

"It'll be okay. I'll make you as good as new! Come on, Ajay! You've gotta breathe for me, okay? Come on! Please! You can't leave me like this! You p-promised you'd always keep me safe! You p-p-promised..." I cry and hold his hands. His hands are freezing, like he'd been in the Himalayas. He almost frozen, he was dead. Dead.


	27. Goodbye

"Thank you to everyone gathered here today. I'm so thankful that you all showed up. I know he'd want you guys to be here." I say, holding the edges of the podium tightly, my knuckles turning entirely white. I lock eyes with Amita and Sabal and then I spot Pagan sitting neatly with his leg crossed, looking deeply at me.

There were nearly a hundred people sitting properly in tight rows and columns. It was a very organized and put together funeral. A service similar to Mom's.

Five years ago, at my Mom's funeral, nearly twenty people showed up. Not many people really were close to her in America, but some just came for us to show support. I appreciated that.

I shove another bottle of whisky down my throat, ignoring the powerful burn in my throat. I looked over and saw Ajay coming towards me, I rolled my eyes.

"How many have you had? You need to stop." Ajay says to me, taking the whisky from me, and setting it on the table filled with all of Mom's favorite foods and drinks. Whiskey was one of her favorites, and was also mine too. At least we shared that much in common.

"I don't know and I honestly don't give a shit anyway." I slurred, I was trying to hide how much pain I was in. I still remember the hospital and how I had felt when she only gave a fuck about Ajay. That will never ever leave me. That broke something inside me that will never be able to reconnect. You'd think that the woman who gave birth to me would love me unconditionally, and would do anything to protect me. But, I guess she just didn't feel that way with me.

"You need to stop this. You're so much stronger than this. Adalyne-" I cut him off. He was just repeating the same bullshit that Mom had once told me about drinking. I didn't want to hear that, I couldn't hear that. I'm already broken as it is. You can't fix a broken record, it's just broken. Soon enough you'll have to throw it away and replace it.

"You can't fix me, Ajay! I'm not special! There's nothing you can do for me! Don't you understand? Mom hated my fucking guts! Do you think I'm okay? So, no. I'm not okay!" I scream, the familiar tears swelling up in my eyes. This kind of pain was tormenting. It made me want to crawl up into a ball and just stop everything.

Everything was too much for me to handle. I didn't know how to handle it. I loved her even when she was angry at me. I loved her through everything and she couldn't do the same thing for me to save her life.

"Don't, just don't say that. I love you, and that's what matters right now." Ajay pulls me into a tight hug. I knew what he said was true, he was the only person that had ever cared about me. I had lost everyone in my life that I had cared about, except Ajay. I knew in that moment that if I ever lost him...I would break. And nobody would be able to fix me. Everyone and everything would deteriorate around me. Forever.

I stand back at the podium in front of Kyrat's people. Ajay's friends, Ishwari and Mohan's friends, and Pagan. I didn't look anyone in the eye, because I knew that if I did I would start crying. If I start crying, I don't think I'll ever be able to stop.

"Ajay was my brother, my partner in crime, my best friend, he stood up for me when I wasn't able to stand up for myself. He was always there for me when I needed him. He would always help me get back up on my feet when I was down. But, not this time. This time, I have to take what he taught me and learn to help myself. We have to be strong for ourselves. Because he's not always going to be there." I say, a silent tear falling down my cheek. I manage to maintain a straight face, and keep it together. How? I have no idea.

"You're okay." Pagan mouths to me from the front row, and I smile. I take another deep breath before speaking again. The walls were covered in beautiful Kyrati paintings and arts. The windows were colorful murals, sun shining against the glass.

"I never thought that I'd have to live without my brother by my side. Yesterday, we lost someone who built Kyrat and made it a better place for everyone. He helped us, and we can never repay him. But what we can do, is keep him and his kind and selfless spirit in our hearts forever. He'd want us to remember him for all the good he did in the world. For his impact on us. We owe him that. I...owe him that." I look down at my hands, and my they're shaking like none other. Just like they did at Mom's funeral.

"Mom was a wonderful woman, really. She cared about her kids, well Ajay at least." I said, clearly drunk from the booze served at the service. Ajay stands up from his seat and grabs me and takes me outside, ignoring the rude glares from everyone seated.

"Ad, I know you're upset. But don't do this today. Not in front of them. You know that." Ajay says, holding my hands in his. He always had such pretty hair and eyes. They were both brown and had a deep sparkle in them. He looked like he was ethnic and it was truly beautiful. I understand Mom's pure love and affection for her son. Though I hadn't ever met Mohan, I could tell he must look identical to him. Like looking into a mirror.

I bring myself back to the present and finish the ceremony off with something important. Something I think I needed to say for myself and everyone in the room needed to hear.

"Thank you, Ajay Ghale. For everything. I will always love you." I say, walking over to his casket and I hold his hand for the last time. Still remembering the father-daughter dance that he decided to take me to since my own father had passed, I had thought he was so sweet. It was so selfless of him, he was terribly sorry about something he had absolutely no control over. It's not like he was the one who was drunk behind a steering wheel.

Looking at his pale skin and body dressed neatly and carefully in the same suit he wore to my wedding. My hand caresses his cheek and I attempt to keep a calm composure. I do so successfully once more.

"Thank you all for coming. Refreshments will be served in the next room over." I state, and begin to turn back to Ajay.

"I'm so sorry for never giving you what you needed. I'm sorry for being so selfish. I should have made sure you were okay. I never should have let you go on that mission. I knew that and I didn't do anything to stop you. And I'm so terribly sorry..." I say, the sobs coming back, and I don't hold them in this time. I let them out, and don't hold back. I needed to get this pain out. If I kept it contained, I was going to erupt like a volcano.

I didn't realize that I wasn't the only person in the room until Sabal gives me a hug. I didn't know how much I needed the hug until I was getting one. He smelt like lavender and bourbon. A combination I'd experienced once myself.

"I'm sorry, sister. But, you should know it isn't your fault. He loved you so much, and I know that he knew how much you loved him, too." Sabal says to me, with the most concerned and comforting look on his face. I cry into his shoulder as he just rubbed comforting circles on my back. I heard Pagan enter the room and Sabal let the hug go.

"Remember what I said." Sabal says with a smile before walking out of the room. I really needed that.

"Hey, I know this is a really stupid question to ask but, are you okay? Like really okay?" He asked me, holding my hands the the same way Ajay had done before.

"Y-yeah." I say, as I pull away. Was I ever going to be okay again?


	28. Repeating History

The days went by agonizingly slow. Not a single moment went by that I didn't think about Ajay. Of course, there were still things to get done. But, it seemed like everyone else around had already moved on, leaving me behind.

I had my Bella to take care of now. I didn't have much time to be sad. But, this feeling I felt...it wasn't sadness. It was a deep depression. It wasn't like I was just upset at moments, it was something that kept me in my bed for hours before I can even talk myself into getting out and even taking a shower. It made me not want to do anything ever again. I was so unhappy in my life, I didn't know what to do with myself.

"Babe, you have to get up. You've been in here for too long." Pagan says, pulling the covers off of my body. I moan in annoyance and roll over. Pagan doesn't give up though, he continues to shake me. I finally roll back over.

"No. Now, leave me alone." I sigh, pushing him away. I knew it must have been hurting him, seeing me so upset about everything. Nothing could make me smile. It seemed like I would never be happy again.

"Mommy? Why are you so sad?" I hear Bella say, from the doorway. My heart sinks for a moment. Damn, how selfish could I be? I have a child to take care of. I shouldn't be caring about myself right now.

"I'm not. Come on, let's go get you a bath started!" I say, trying to sound as excited as I could be. I couldn't let her know how much I wanted to just sleep all day. Seeing her happy made a part of me happy, too. Maybe she was the thing to keep me going.

I didn't have a clue what was to come in the future. It was like my story was coming to an end. But I wasn't sure what else there could be. Haven't I already had the happy-ending fairytale? I'm married to the charming Pagan, we even had a child together. What else could I possibly ask for?

The weeks were filled with paperwork about the financial situation in Kyrat. I had somehow managed to completely get us out of all of our bankruptcy and we were in an agreement with people who had a lot of power.

Everything seemed to going well on the council. Although, some of the choice we're going in Amita and Sabal's favor in the recent weeks, which I had originally thought was just normal. But deep down inside me, I had already sensed something fishy was going on. I didn't know what, but I was going to find out.

I was in Bella's room when it had happened. Bella had been in the garden picking some daisies to put in a vase. Pagan was with some soldiers outside, doing god knows what. I was doing the normal, everyday tasks. Folding Bella's laundry and carefully hanging it in her closet. Little did I know...today was so much different.

Gunshots. Something I hadn't heard for a long time. Nearly three years to be exact. Since the war had been finished, we only used them for target practice, but that was at a disclosed location in Northern Kyrat.

"MOMMY!" I heard Bella, run messily up the stairs to me. I didn't know what to do. I needed to ensure Bella's safety. I told Bella to hide in her closet while I found out what the hell was going on. I walk towards our balcony only to find Pagan yelling at the soldiers to "stop." I wasn't aware of what was happening yet.

"NO!" Pagan yelled before jumping in front of me. At first I was confused, but quickly came to the realization that he was protecting me from getting shot. I grab him body and drag him inside. Bella comes running out of her room to me and starts sobbing. Pagan had been shot. To save my life. All he's ever wanted is for me to be safe.

"Bel, it's okay. Just-" I try to take control of the situation but I didn't know how. Why were the soldiers shooting at Pagan? There was a part of me inside that knew it had something to do with Amita and Sabal. They had turned on us. Why? I don't know. Why wait four whole years?

"Isabella, I love you. Always know that, okay? I have always loved you. You are so special, and so utterly beautiful just like your mother." Pagan spits out, before coughing and holding his stomach. I could tell he was in indescribable pain, words just couldn't explain.

There was blood everywhere. It was a sight very similar to when I had found Ajay. Lying there, completely lifeless. It was heartbreakingly real. Was I like a death magnet or something? I mean, everyone seemed to drop dead around me. Maybe I needed to eliminate myself from the equation.

"Baby, please don't leave us. W-we need you! Please...stay." I weep, holding his hand. He takes his ring off his finger and looks me deeply in the eye. I couldn't help but look into his eyes. The shine his eyes had always had, was dwindling away.

"Keep this. As a way to remember me. I love you, Ad. I knew from the first moment I laid eyes on you." He smiles, and kisses me. Bella and I look at him, and give him a hug as he takes his last breath. Bella had just witnessed her own father die in her arms. It was something I definitely hadn't wanted her to see ever. It was a total nightmare.

"Come on, we need to go." I say, standing up. And grabbing her hand. Her hands were shaking, they were so small and so fragile.

"Where, mommy?" She says, looking me in the eyes with her shiny blue eyes and blonde hair. She was beautiful.

"Somewhere safe. Don't worry baby. Everything is going to be okay. I'm going to make sure of it this time." I say, as I begin packing a couple of bags for our trip back to the United States. I was going home and I wasn't going to look back.


	29. Don't Look Back...Ever

The plane had taken off from the Kyrati Airport and we were out. I look out the window and see the beautiful Himalayas in the distance. The same sight I had seen with Pagan, not even four years ago. The memory coming back to me.

"Never flown in a helicopter before?" Pagan looks over at me, smiling at me. I blush, and gradually brush a piece of my hair tightly behind my ear.

"No, I've only flown in a structurally sound plane." I giggle sarcastically, it was true. I got here by plane and the bus. And it was quite the journey.

"Oh, I see. Well...to our right you'll see the Himalayas. Beautiful mountains covered in the whitest snow." I look in complete awe at the snow covered hills, lying under the horizon. The color of blue in the sky was a beautiful sight, matched with patchy clouds. It looked eerily calm.

"Wow, it's-" I try to get out, only to be cut off by Pagan. I look over at him, curiously.

"Absolutely stunning. Just like you." He says, smiling at me. He scoots closer to me and leans in. I didn't question anything. It was peaceful and comforting. The kiss lasted only a second, but was completely worth it. I look into his eyes and they lock with mine. Damn, I was lucky.

I look down to my little daughter sitting patiently and quietly right beside me. This was best for us. Pagan was gone, Ajay was gone, Mom was gone, Dad was gone. Everyone had left me. It was just me and my Bella now. We were going to get through this, I had to.

We had finally landed in Texas and I pull into the same old driveway I had driven up as a teenager. Looking at the same old garage, the same old mailbox and red front door. The same bushes and fence surrounding the house. Somehow the old was good. Change was too hard to accept.

It was like not a single day had passed since I left. Other than the grass being a bit too tall than normal, it was the same home that contained so many memories and it smelled the same as it always did. I grab our bags from the car and brought them inside. Bella followed quickly and quietly behind me. I ignore the odd glares from the neighbors.

I open the door and all the memories flood into my head. All the times I cried in Ajay's arms on the couch after a bad date, all the times I had a bad day at school, all the times that bad jokes were told. It had all come running back into my mind. On a never-ending repeat.

It was like time had stopped here when I left. Everything was in the same spot. Mom's will was still placed neatly on the kitchen table, slightly hanging out of the white envelope.

An empty box of Fruity Pebbles was still lying on the floor where it just had fallen out of the trash can. The shades were still down, nobody had opened them. There was a thick layer of dust covering the house. The television remote was still on the couch, not placed back on the coffee table.

My lid to my shampoo was still open, from where I had rushed to get out of the shower. Nothing had changed. Not a single thing was out of place.

"Where is this?" Bella says scared from being somewhere different, hiding behind me. I kneel in front of her, holding her hands in mine. Her eyes were glazed over with a slight fear of being in a unknown area.

"Home." I say, kissing her forehead before getting ready to unpack. I wasn't thinking about Kyrat anymore. I wasn't going to look back. Not now, not ever.

Maybe this was the ending of my story. When the problem had been solved and the main character was finally safe and secure. No more possible danger, just safety. I mean, what else could there be?


	30. Author's Note

This isn't a chapter, but this is very important to me and I'm absolutely astounded with how well this book has gone.

I never expected to get to 3K reads within a couple of months. I am extremely grateful for everyone that read this story from beginning to end.

I definitely want to thank everyone so much for reading and being a part of this journey! I'm so happy that all of you have read this far into my book! Especially since hours of blood, sweat, and tears were put into this project. I absolutely cannot express how ecstatic and excited I am to continue my other Far Cry 4 book "As Long As I Have You."

If you want to read any of my other stories, make sure to check them out!

Again, thank you guys so much for being a part of this journey with me! You guys have no idea how much this means to me as a writer and as a person who has made an impact on society, even if it is only 0.01% of it. Thank you!


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